Hayate the Combat Butler – His Family Are Really Poor!
- Cheap Coats, Loli and Yakuza
OP
A rather happy and care free jpop song (Hayate no Gotoku! by KOTOKO) is supported by equally bright and soothing animation. I particularly like the detailed backgrounds in contrast to the often simplistic character design. The pacing and arrangment are also good, you can immediately tell that the show will be humorous with a hint of romance. Towards the end many different characters are shown, most of whom look a good deal more exciting that Hayate himself. Overall its a well presented opening although a little uninspired.
Introduction
Just before the OP there’s a small introduction where Hayate saves a young loli, erm girl, from a giant robot intent on killing her. Although she seemed to be doing pretty well before he intervenes…
The story starts off with SatanSanta telling Hayate that he won’t be getting any christmas presents because his family are poor, he advises Hayate to work hard and use his own strength to achieve the things he wants. These words seem to stay with Hayate all of his life. His unemployed parents constantly gamble away any money they aquire so Hayate is left to provide for the family through part time jobs, which he’s is actually to young to have. One day his family spend the last of the money he makes and leave him alone for good. However they have a parting gift for him, the news that he has been sold to the Yakuza to pay of his parents debt. Merry Christmas kiddo!
After diving through a first floor window to escape the friendly Yakuza he flees to nearby park where he see’s a young girl. He decides that he will kidnap and ransom her so that he can pay off his debt. Unfortunately this goes wrong when he ends up saving her from some thugs and accidentally confessing his love for her… Dismayed that his plans have gone awry he passes out on the sidewalk.
Meanwhile the young girl he confessed to is being kidnapped by the guys he saved her from earlier. A passing woman on a bike wakes Hayate up and gives him a scarf (??) to keep him warm. He is so touched by her kindness that he openly weeps. Once he pulls himself together he races off on the bike to rescue the young girl. The kidnappers run him over with their car, but he doesn’t seem to bothered. They decide to release the girl and it seems that the police arrest them. As the young girl thanks Hayate he collapses to the floor, although he insists he is ok. Then she (Nagi Sanzenin) decides to thank Hayate by letting him work as her full time butler. With that out of the way, I am looking forward to story progressing next week.
Impressions
You may or may not have realised that I didn’t really mention any of the comedy in that description. I did this on purpose because to me it seems that without the comedy this is quite a sincere show. A boy who has lived a sad and hard life has managed to stay caring and responsible, despite his bad luck it seems that things are finally looking up for him. Now i’m sure that nobody else cares about this, but I find that this gives the show depth beyond the slapstick comedy.
All seriousness aside though, I did really enjoy the show. The comedy was really well done. From Santa’s harsh treatment, Hayate’s accident with the stairs, the Yakuzas various jobs for him and the excellently done angel and devil sequence I found myself genuinely laughing. The sheer neglegance of Hayate’s parents and their readyness to sell him was also quite brilliant. From what I have heard about the show it will get increasingly funnier and wackier, good stuff.
The characters, while not very original, have grown on me. Hayate seems like a nice guy and that alone makes me want to find out what happens to him. Then there’s the loli, well, I would be lying if I said I didn’t find her cute and comical in her brashness. Hopefully the supporting characters will be equally as interesting and stop the show from feeling stale and predictable.
The art, as I mentioned in the OP, is mostly of a really high standard. I’m a bit of a background art freak and this show has some exquisitely well drawn and coloured exteriors. I particularly like the backdrops as Hayate was riding through the town and the panning sky scene near the very end. Although the character designs let the show down a little, up close the main characters are quite dull and unoriginal. I often find myself looking at the background characters and thinking how more effort went in to their artwork. But i’m sure there’s a reason for this… Or maybe it’s just me.
Having not read the manga I don’t know where the plot is headed, or even if there is much of a plot. But, I enjoyed the first episode more than enough for it to secure a place on my blog. Oh I just realised, there wasn’t any fan service…
ED
The ED animation is a series of women sleeping in various places, it doesn’t sound that interesting at first and that’s because it isn’t. The light and fluffy jpop ballad (Proof by MELL) makes it a little more appealing, but aside from the cutsie factor of sleeping girls there’s really not much here.
Next Episode
Do you know what kind of work a Butler does?
Apparently it entails strutting around the mansion and making things sparkle.
Great?!
